The invention relates to a locally reinforced aircraft structural component that is made in particular of a fiber-reinforced composite material. Further, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing an aircraft structural component of this kind.
In aircraft construction attempts are being made increasingly to use, as load-bearing components, components that are made entirely or partially from fiber-reinforced composite materials, for example carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP). For example, DE 10 2007 062 111 A1 describes a cross-beam structure made of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastics material, which is used to support the individual panels of an aircraft floor system for dividing a passenger cabin from a cargo compartment disposed underneath the passenger cabin.
Aircraft cabin monuments usually are attached to the floor system of the aircraft in the region of the cross-beams supporting the floor panels so as to provide for a secure fastening and support of the aircraft cabin monuments. However, in order to allow a more flexible cabin design independent of the location of the supporting cross-beams, aircraft floor panels may be locally reinforced and thus enabled to allow cabin monuments to be attached to the panels also in regions located between the cross-beams. For example, reinforcing elements may be integrated into a core of a floor panel as described, for example, in DE 10 2010 035 787 A1 and WO 2012/028263 A1. Alternatively, floor panels may be reinforced by symmetrically applying additional reinforcement layers to a top and a bottom surface of the panels. Finally, the aircraft floor system may be provided with a reinforcing secondary structure which is installed below the floor panels so as to locally support the floor panels in a region between the cross-beams.